Joseph merlin hodson



(No Model J; M. HUDSON.

FIRE ESCAPE.

No. 304,820. Patented Sept. 9, 1884.

F E 5 \f HIIHH llilllllllilll LA [I WITNESSES: mvg uom dflyw'mg BY ATTORNEYS.

3O journaled in the circular part 0 of a casing,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC JOSEPH MERLIN HODSON, OF AMHERSTBURG, ONTARIO, CANADA.

Fl RE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 304,820, dated September 9, 1884.

Application filed January 528, 1884.

To all whom; it may concern;

Be it known that I, J OSEPH MERLIN HonsoN, of Amherstburg, in the Province of Ontario and Dominion of Canada, have invented a new and Improved Fire-Escape, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to that class of portable fire-escapes in which a wire is coiled on a drum journaled in a casing provided with means for suspending the body from the said casing.

Theinvention consists in afire-escape formed of a casing in which a drum is pivoted, 'on which awire is coiled, whichis passed through apertured lugs of brake-levers pivoted in the casing. The wire also passes between trans verse pins or rods in the casing, thus producing sufficient friction to prevent the apparatus from descending too rapidly.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both the figures.

Figure 1 is a side view of my improved fireescape, parts being broken out and others shown in section. Fig. 2 is an edge view of the same.

A steel wire, A, is wound on a drum, B,

G, provided with an upwardly-projecting part or neck, 0 in the upper partof which two brakelevers, D, are pivoted opposite each other, and extending nearly down to the circular part of the casing. Each lever D is provided near its upper end wit-h an inwardly-projecting lug, E, provided near its inner end with an aperture, F, through which the wire A is passed. In the lower part of the part 0 of the casing 0 two transverse rods or pins, G, are arranged. A strap or belt, H, is suspended from a pin or bolt, J, uniting lugs K on the lower end of the casing, the said belt H being provided with a seat, M, and with a belt or strap, L, that can be passed around the waist. The wire A passes from the pulley partly around and between the check-brake pins G, through the apertures F in the lugs E of the two levers D, and up between the pivots of the levers D.

(No model.) I

The operation is as follows: The upper end of the wire is secured to some heavy article in the room, or to a hook, &c., and the person sits in the loop formed by the belt H. As soon as the weight of the person acts on the wire, the same is straightened out between the lugs E of the levers D, and throws the levers D outward into the position shown in dotted lines. The wire begins to uncoil and the person and the apparatus descend. The friction produced by the wire on the pins or bolts Gr prevents the apparatus from descending too rapidly. If the apparatus is to be stopped, the levers D are pressed toward each other, whereby the wire will be brought into the position shown in Fig. 1, and the friction is increased to such an extent as to stop the apparatus. As soon as the levers D are released they are thrown outward, and the apparatus begins to descend.

The apparatus is very light, strong, C0111- pact, and reliable, and can be fully controlled.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. 1n a fire-escape, the combination, with the casing O, of the drum B, pivoted in the same, the wire A, wound on the drum, the levers D, pivoted in the upper part of the easing, and provided with the lugs E, projecting toward each other, each lug having an aperture, F, through which the wire A is passed, substantially as herein shown and described.

2. 111 a fire-escape, the combination, with the casing O, of the drum B, pivoted in the same, the wire A, wound on the drum, thelevers D, pivoted in the upper part of the easing, and provided with lugs E, projecting toward each other, each lug having an aperture, F, through which the wire A is passed, and of the transverse pins or rods G, between which the wire is passed, substantially as herein shown and described.

JOSEPH MERLIN HODSON.

Witnesses:

J AS. TEMPLETON, HENRY ANDERSON. 

